Red Cross needs type O blood donors

Amanda CudaMay 14, 2019

The American Red Cross has a critical shortage of type O blood and urges eligible donors to give now. All donors who come to give blood or platelets through June 10 will receive a $5 Amazon gift card via email.

According to a news release, Red Cross has less than a two-day supply of type O blood available for emergency rooms, where it can be most critical. That means just six units of type O blood are available for every 100,000 people, but at least 14 are needed every day.

While just 7 percent of the U.S. population has type O negative blood, it can be transfused to patients with any blood type and is what hospital staff reach for during emergencies when there isn’t time to determine a patient’s blood type. Type O positive blood is the most transfused blood type and is also critical in trauma situations.

Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are urged to urged to make an appointment to donate using the Blood Donor App, at RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 800-733-2767.